Seal



Sept. 2% 1932. J. B. MURRAY SEAL Filed March 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet lQNVENTOR Jasep/ e Bi/Wezrray LF/fiATroRNEYs Sept. 2%, 1932. J. B. MURRAYSEAL Filed March 50, 19 32 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR 1 05 eph B. Mm? 5vi 42 flgw ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 2% H232 JOSEPH B. MURY, 01F BROOKLYN,NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T METROPOLITAN DEVICE GGBPOEATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEWYORK, A CQRPORA'IION OF NEW YORK The invention aims to provide animproved seal of the padlock type for use in seal: ing electricalinstrument boxes and the like,

in which-a hasp has hooked ends which are il thrust into the seal orcasing and cannot be withdrawn without destroying or in ur1ng the sealin some manner which will be apparent to the inspector for theelectrical company.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively front, back and side elevations;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sections on the corw respondingly numbered lines inFig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing the configuration within thecasing;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a button before insertion;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of a blankafter the first stamping operation;

Fig. 10 is a similar view after a second stamping.

Fig. 11 is a front view of an alternative design.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated, the casing or seal proper ismade of stifi steel or other rigid sheet metal front and back walls 11and 12 integrally united by a bend 13 at the upper end and having their:sides and lower ends united by crimped oints l4 and 15. The front andback walls are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the th1ck nessof the hasp, and the casing 18 closed except for two openings 15 1n theupper end through which the hooked ends ofthe hasp mav be introduced asin Fig. 7. The central portions 16 and 17 of the front wall are presseddown to contact with the back wall .See Fig. 1.

and to form certain .partitions or walls exdownward and sharply upwardto form the hook ends 22.

The depression 16 of the, front wall is shaped also to form lateralshoulders 23 extending inward from the portions 18 for engagement by theends of the hooks to prevent withdrawal of the hasp. In the stampingdown of the portion 16 the shoulder or wall 23 is pressed down sharplyat the corner 24, Fig. 5, at substantially a right 00 angle. The drawingof the metal thins thewalls 23 and provides weakened lines at thecorners 24 so that the walls. 23 are somewhat like the familiarknockouts in sheet metal boxes. If an attempt be made to remove the haspby a strong pull, the walls 23 will yield before the hasp canbestraightened sufiiciently to remove it; and the breaking of the wall 23will betray the attempt to tamper with the seal.

The bending down of the portion 17 of the front wall provideslongitudinal partitions or walls 25 which form with the side walls 26enclosed spaces 27 to receivethe hooked ends of thehasp. These spacestaper toward the lower end. They must be of considerable length topermit the thrusting in of the hooked ends of the hasp, which have to befairly long to providea sharp upward bend of the hook and length enoughfor a certain spring action to snap into engages ment with the lateralshoulders 23.

The bent down portions 16 and 17 of the front wall are continuous witheach other. Consequently the .two lateral shoulders '23, (Fig. 7 areseparate from each other, each being limited at its inner end by apartition 25. i

In previous seals of this class a single shoulder served as a stop forboth hooks 22 of the hasp. By pulling the hasp forcibly and laterally,the end of one hook could be made to push the end of the other sidewisesufliciently to clear the shoulder and permit withdrawal of the hasp ina distorted shape and its rebending and reinsertion in sui'ficientlygood shape to conceal the fact.

By interposing a longitudinal wall, or two such walls 25. between theshoulders 23 this method of tampering is prevented. It is we preferableto have two walls 25 inclined outwardly at the lower ends as shown so asto form the enclosed spaces 27 of downwardly tapered shape fitting theshape of the hasp 5 ends so as to limit their lateral play.

In the lower end of-the seal I provide a.

button of lead or similar soft metal with a shank 28 passing through thetwo plates and having enlarged heads 29 and 30 on the opposite faces of.the seal.- The button is originally of the shape shown in Fig. 8 withone head 29 and an elongated shank 28' which is passed through the holein the plates and swaged to form the opposite 'head. This button servestwo purposes.

It provides an identifying means upon which the electrical companycanjimpress its own initials or other mark with a simple hand tool; sothat this companys seals cannot be gotten from the manufacturer bystealth or otherwise. With the two buttons the companys mark PO, Fig. 1,can be impressed on one button and the individual inspectors mark 121,Fig. 2, on the other button.

This button also helps to secure the seal against tampering. .It rivetsthe front and back walls together at the end remote from that at whichthey are joined integrally; thus preventing the opening of the lower endof the seal by uncrimping the edges at this point. Preferably also thebutton head at the front is made so large as to extend over the crimpedjoint and prevent access thereto.

85 See Fig/1.

The shank 28 of the button is placed' in the extreme lower end of thespace outlined by the partitions 25, close to the lower wall 31 whichconnects these two partitions. A certain length of the spaces 27 isrequired to accommodate the hooked ends of the hasp and this space musthave a certain width at the bottom corresponding to the bend of the hasL l T he placing of the button at the lowest possible point permits sucha location of the lower ends of the walls 25 as to secure the maximumwidth in the lower ends of the hook-receiving spaces 27; notwithstanding5 the making of the front button large enough to extend over the crimpedjoint. The low a est point of the two heads of the button practicallycoincides with the lower edge of the seal so as to provide a stiffbacking and prevent distortion when the marks are being impressedthereon;

The walls of the casing are also fastened to ether near the upper end soas to prevent li ing of the part 16 by a tool introduced 6 through thetop openings 15, which would permit the forcing of the'hooks 22 outwardand the withdrawal of the hasp. v

In seals of this character the fastening has been accomplished bypunching a hole 32 (Fig. 9) in the top wall 11 of the blank and punchingup a flange 33 from the lower wall 12. When the blank is bent over, asin Fig. the flange 33 is passed through the opening and crimped down atthe edge 34 to rivet the connection either as a substitute'for theriveted connection described or as a supplement thereto.

In the design illustrated, the riveted con-- nection is supplemented bytwo spot welds 35 closely adjacent tothe walls 23 so as to offer thegreatest obstacle to the separation of the plates at these particularpoints.

In the manufacture of the seal, the first operation is to stamp out theflat blank, Fig. 9, of appropriate shape with end openings 15, with theportion 16 drawn down with sharp angles as above described, and with theopeningl32 and the struck up flange 33.

the next operation (Fig. 10) the top and bottom walls 11 and 12 areflanged around their edges and the top plate drawn to form the depressedportion 17. In this operation it is common to stamp in the sheet metalvarious identifications such as are shown; and some companies requirethat they be serially numbered as a further security, which must be donein this flat condition of the blank.

The blank is then bent across the line through the two openings 15 andcrimped around the edges and riveted by the flange 34 near the top andthen spot welded at the points 35.

Before the lead button is applied there will be a slight space betweenthe lower end wall 36 and the part 31, inside partition, as shown inFig. 7 The application of the button and the pressing down of the head29, however,

will flatten the front wall against the back walland close such space asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. For some purposes it is not necessary to have alead button, the name of the company using the seal being stamped on thesheet metal in the course of manufacture.

I have referred to a rigid sheet metal casing and a soft lead button,but these terms are used in the comparative sense and other materialshaving similar physical properties may be employed in making the seal.

1 have also referred to the back and the front of the seal and to itsupper and lower ends in the comparative sense merely since the seal maylie in various positions in practice.

. Certain features of the invention may be applied to a hasp or similarwire or strip with only one hooked end, the opposite end being fastenedto the box or other apparatus to be sealed or being fixed to the seal insuch a way that it cannot be removed without detection.

- is like that of Fig. 1 split along a central line. The hasp 19 has oneend 36 flattened and welded on the outside of the depressed portion 16of the front wall 11 of the casing,

just above the shoulder 24; the same weld may serve to fasten thehasp-end and to fasten the part 16 to the back wall. The button may beapplied to this form of seal or omitted as desired.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A seal of the character described having front and back walls, one ofsaid walls having A a continuous depressed portion forming within thecasing lateral partitions and separate longitudinal partitions extendingdownward from the inner ends of the lateral partitions.

2. A seal of the character described having front and back walls ofsheet metal, the front wall having a depressed portion near the upperend forming lateral shoulders for en; gagement by the hooked ends of ahasp and a further depressed portion forming two separate longitudinalpartitions extending from said shoulders downward.

3. A seal of the character described having a casing with an internallateral shoulder adapted to be engaged by the hooked end of a hasp, saidshoulder being comparatively weak so as to be breakable by a strong pullon the hasp;

4. -A seal of the character described having front and back walls spacedapart, one of said walls being of sheet metal and being sharplydepressed and drawn so as to thin the metal while formin a shoulderadapted to 'engage and lock'the hooked end of a hasp introduced into thecasing .so that such shoulder can be broken by a strong pull on saidhasp.

5. A seal of the character described having front and back walls formedof a single sheet of metal integrally connected at the, upper end andcrimped together along their sides and lower end with an opening throughthe upper end for introduction of a hasp, the front wall having adepressed portion forming an internal lateral partition near the upperend for engagement by the hooked end of a hasp, said: depressed portionbeing welded to the back wall at a point above said shoulder andaccessible through said opening, so as to prevent separationof the wallsat this point.

6. A seal of the character described having front and back walls formedof a single sheet of metal integrally connected at the upper end andcrimped together along their sides I and lower end, the front wall beingdepressed to form lateral shoulders for engagementby the hooked endsof ahasp and to form longitudinal partitions constituting the inner walls ofdownwardlytaperin spaces for receiving the elongated ends 0 the hasp,and

a button of soft metal having a shank passing through said walls at theextreme lower "endlof the depressed portion of the front 7 A seal of thecharacter described having two lateral internal shoulders for engagementby the hooked ends of a hasp inserted into the seal, and havinglongitudinal internal shoulders extending downward from said lateralshoulders a distance corresponding substantially to the length of suchhooked ends so as to prevent substantial lateral a casing with aninternal lateral shoulder for engagement by the hooked end of a hasp andhaving a longitudinal wall extendin downward from said shoulder andadapte to prevent substantial lateral movement of such hooked end, saidlateral shoulder being comparatively' weak so as to be breakable by astrong pull on the hasp when its hooked end is thus confined laterally.I

10. A seal of the character described having lateral internal shouldersfor engagement by the hooked ends of a hasp and longitudinal internalshoulders extending downward from said lateral shoulders and adapted topro-- vent substantial lateral movement of such hookedends, said lateralshoulders being of metal so weakened as to be breakable by a strong pullon the hasp when its ends are thus confined laterally.

11. A seal of the character described having front and back walls formedofa single sheet of metal integrally connected at the' upper end andcrimped together along their sides and lower end, the front wall beingdepressed to form lateral shoulders for engagement by the hooked ends ofa hasp and to form longitudinal partitions constituting the inner wallsof downwardly taperin spaces -for'receiving the elongated ends of t ehasp, the depressed portion of the front,- wall above said shouldersbeing -fastened directly to the back wall, and a button of soft metalhaving a shank passing through said walls I at the extreme lower end ofthe depressed portion of the front wall.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, i

' JOSEPH B. MURRAY.

